A Manual of Question Words Used in History

(online version)

©香港考試及評核局 保留版權2011
Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
All Rights Reserved 2011
Online version of the Manual of Question Words Used in History

Foreword
A Manual of Question Words Used in History was published by the Hong Kong
Examinations and Assessment Authority in 2007. It discusses History-related assessment issues,
namely logic, question words and level marking, the totality of which forms a set of feasible
assessment philosophy for History and provides a common language for the stakeholders of the
History examinations – setters, examiners, teachers, and candidates. With more than eight
thousand copies sold thus far, it has become an important reference for the History examinations.
To achieve the abovementioned aims, a rather sophisticated framework was designed for
the manual: first it elaborates on the relationship between logic and history assessment, then
interprets each of the question words with logic, and finally discusses the importance of logic
and question words when designing level marking schemes. Generally speaking, History
teachers find the manual useful in their teaching, but many candidates find it rather difficult to
follow, though it was written bilingually in English and Chinese.
With the approach of the year 2012, the first cohort of the Hong Kong Diploma of
Secondary Education candidates are busy preparing for the examination. This online version is
published with an aim to facilitate their understanding of the question words, by removing
chapters 1 and 3 and revising chapter 2 of the original manual with more illustrations.
This online version is based on the original manual. It aims at helping candidates to
understand the messages discussed in the original manual. However, this online version is not
meant to be a substitute for the original one; candidates should also not consider that the two
manuals have covered all the question words to be used in the History examinations. While
candidates will benefit from the two manuals to enhance their skills pertaining to the
examinations, they should not take studying these publications as an equivalent for historical
study. Candidates may refer to the original version for more details on logic and level marking.
This online version would have been impossible without the help of many people. I am
indebted to Dr. Chiu Shiu-yim, Ms. Lam Mei-yee, Ms. Liu Pik-yee, Mr. Poon Wing-keung and
Ms. Sin Sze-man, who took part in the editorial committee; Ms. Lam Wai-fong read the
manuscript and made invaluable comments.
Last but not least, my special thank is extended to Ms. Rebecca Tai, my administrative
assistant, who provides timely clerical support as usual.

Hans Yeung
Manager – Assessment Development (History)
Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority

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Table of Contents

Foreword 1
Table of contents 2
Editorial notes 3
Tips for candidates 4
Question words
analyse, assess, discuss, evaluate, examine 6
attitude / view 7
bias 9
characteristic / nature 10
compare 11
conclude 13
define 14
elaborate 15
explain 16
fundamental 17
identify 18
infer 19
justify 21
language and arguments 22
most 23
relative importance 25
role 27
support your answer 28
to what extent 29
trace and explain 31
turning point 33
usefulness and limitations 35
with reference to source / own knowledge 36
Appendix
A. A/AS History marking criteria for essay-type questions 37
B. HKDSE History marking criteria for essay-type questions 38

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 Editorial notes

 This online version is based on Chapter 2 of A Manual of Question Words Used in

History (2007). Candidates who intend to learn more about the assessment philosophy of
this subject may refer to it.

 The question words/phrases are arranged alphabetically.

 There are two parts for each question word/phrase, namely ‘definition’ ( ³) and
‘highlights’ ( ). Past exam questions will be used when necessary for illustration
purposes.

 The following six question words/phrases – compare, most, relative importance, to what
extent, trace and explain and turning point – are known to be illustrative of the subject’s
assessment philosophy. For candidates’ benefits, fictional examples are derived to
enhance interest in learning.

 In case a question word/phrase involves more difficult skills, there will be a separate
‘Advanced study’ corner for them.

 This online version contains ‘Tips for candidates’, which serves as a reminder to
candidates about relevant skills and information.

 At the end of the manual is an appendix of the marking criteria of essay-type questions
for the HKAL and HKDSE History examinations, for the easy reference of candidates.

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 Tips for candidates
答 錦囊
Candidates should know that good memory of facts has to go along with a good grasp of various
concepts and skills in making well-grounded assertions. They should pay attention to the
following when answering a question:

Importance of standpoints
Many data-based questions and essay-type questions require candidates to give their
standpoints. An answer that merely narrates historical facts without any standpoints may indicate
failure to respond to the question; candidates should focus on their standpoints with explanation
using relevant historical facts.

No pre-determined ‘correct’ standpoints

Some candidates think that there is a ‘correct’ way to answer a History question; for
example, when answering a ‘to what extent’ question, a good answer must adopt the ‘large
extent’ approach. This myth will seriously affect their performance. Candidates should decide
their standpoints after carefully analysing a given question, rather than adopt pre-determined
standpoints.

Logical consistency
History emphasises logical consistency in a given answer. Some candidates switch their
stances in the course of writing an essay. When responding to a ‘to what extent’ question, some
candidates write in the first half of the answer that ‘A was a cause’, but state abruptly when
starting the second half that ‘however, A was not a cause’. Candidates should try their best to
avoid similar logical inconsistencies.

‘Question’ more important than ‘key words’

Some candidates merely pay attention to one or two ‘key words’ in a question rather than
consider the question as a whole. For example, when responding to Question 5 of the 2007
HKCE History Exam (‘Discuss the features of Hong Kong’s different stages of economic
development in the 20th century.’), many candidates merely focused on two phrases, namely
‘economic development’ and ‘different stages’, and ignored a much more important word –

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‘features’. As a result, their performance was poor. Candidates should not pay disproportionate
attention to any ‘key word’ and ‘question word’. Rather, they should make sure that they can
understand the question as a whole. An assessment task of History does not assess candidates’
ability in tackling one or two question words, but in tackling the whole question.

Attention to the time frame set in a question

A question usually sets a time frame to contextualise a discussion. Some candidates think
mistakenly that they do not need to cover the whole time frame in a question, and it suffices just
to cover part of it. For example, the report on Question 8 in Paper 2 of the 2011 HKAL History
Exam (‘Assess the importance of the Cold War relative to other factors in leading to the recovery
and growth of Japan’s economy in the period 1945-80.’) pointed out: ‘Many candidates did make
attempts to assess the relative importance of the Cold War in contributing to Japan’s post-War
economic development, but, as in previous years, their discussions ended in 1952, that is, the end
of the Allied Occupation of Japan.’ In other words, in a question that was meant to cover a time
span of 35 years, many candidates only discussed seven years out of it. This is obviously far
from sufficient. Candidates should not attempt a question if they do not feel confident of the
major portion of the question’s time frame, otherwise their performance will be affected.

Arguments to be supported by evidence

Candidates need to support each of their arguments with evidence. Valid evidence
requires not merely narration of relevant historical facts, but also discussion of how the stated
facts can prove a certain argument. On the contrary, if candidates find that they have been merely
narrating facts without raising any arguments in an answer, they should make necessary
rectifications before it is too late.

Avoidance of antichronism
History distinguishes itself from other subjects with the important role played by ‘time’
and ‘chronology’. Antichronism will affect performance. Candidates should pay attention to the
chronology of facts.

Careful time management and avoidance of unbalanced answers

Some candidates do not plan the use of time carefully; they write elaborately at the
beginning, but conclude their answers sloppily when they suddenly wake to find that time has
run out. As History requires effective response to questions, unbalanced answers will seriously
affect performance. Candidates need effective time management and avoid unbalanced answers.

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analyse assess discuss evaluate examine
³ Provide historical information, explain and expound on the topic set by the question.

These are general question words, and they may demand completely different tasks,
depending on how the question is phrased. Refer to pp.36-38 of A Manual of Question
Words Used in History.

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attitude / view
³ ‘View’ refers to the author’s opinion and assertions (sometimes coming with
justifications); ‘attitude’ refers more to the author’s feelings and emotions.

Usually, the handling of ‘view’ and ‘attitude’ is differentiated in the following way:
‘view’ is specific and should be elaborated in several sentences; ‘attitude’ is relatively
simple, and the use of suitable adjectives will suffice.

Candidates should note the difference between ‘view’ and ‘attitude’. In public
examinations, it is common that candidates have them confused.

When a question asks for someone’s view, candidates should refrain from writing
something like ‘this is a positive view / optimistic view’. For example, ‘this is a positive
view’ is equivalent to saying that ‘this view is positive’. By answering this way, the
candidates is actually commenting rather than describing a view.

 Example:

What was Xu Dishan’s view on the revolutionary movement in 1911?

Explain your answer with reference to evidence from Source C.
(Question 1c of Paper 2 of the 2003 HKAL History Exam)

Illustration:
According to the source provided, Xu, after making some analysis of the situation,
opined that the revolutionary movement in 1911 was pre-mature. However, if a candidate
mistakes ‘view’ for ‘attitude’, he will probably say that Xu was indifferent and even
hostile to the movement, as the Source contains negative remarks like ‘such kind of
revolutionary idea was no different from the slogans expressed by rebels in the past’.

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 The exam report of that year pointed out: ‘A few candidates confused “view” with
“attitude” and provided inaccurate responses to the question, thus adversely affecting
their performance.’

Advanced study

‘View’ and ‘attitude’ are related but different. Many candidates take them as
question words that require similar answers; as a matter of fact, this is not necessarily true.
Consider the following paragraph:

It has been ten years since Hong Kong reverted to China in 1997. A sound and
modernised society should base itself on a modernised political system. As the
Basic Law has stipulated universal suffrage as the ultimate aim of Hong Kong’s
political development, Hong Kong should speed up its pace of democratisation.
However, ‘ideal’ is one thing, and ‘reality’ is another. There are still a lot of
obstacles along the way of democratisation, which makes one feel pessimistic.

To the question ‘identify the author’s view towards Hong Kong’s political future’,
the answer may be ‘the author thinks that Hong Kong should speed up its pace of
democratisation, but there are a lot of obstacles.’ If asked about the author’s attitude
towards Hong Kong’s political future, the answer should be ‘pessimistic’. It is thus
obvious that the seemingly positive view ‘Hong Kong should speed up its pace of
democratisation’ does not necessarily warrant an equally ‘positive’ attitude. Candidates
should carefully read between the lines and understand the difference between ‘view’ and
‘attitude’.

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bias
³ A partial view.

An ‘impartial’ view is one that is made after considering a full range of available
justifications; partiality entails inferences that are based on limited information or
knowledge.

Candidates should pay attention to the difference between ‘bias’ and ‘view’. ‘Radical’ or
‘extraordinary’ views are not necessarily ‘biased’ if they are sufficiently substantiated.

Criticisms are not necessarily biases. Some candidates are used to an oversimplistic way
of reasoning; say, if the author of a book on the history of the First World War thought
that Germany deserved the ‘war-guilt clause’, that author must be biased against
Germany. As long as a scholar has made a thorough study that is rich in evidence and
sound in argumentation, his or her conclusion – though not necessarily up to our palate –
should not be readily dismissed as biased.

A Manual of Question Words Used in History lists four kinds of biases, namely ‘bias in
favour of’, ‘bias against’, ‘bias due to difference of value’ and ‘bias due to the making of
sweeping generalisation’. Candidates may refer to pp.52-53 of the booklet for details.

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characteristic / nature
³ nature: The subject’s core, without which the subject in question will lose its
inherent quality.
characteristic: The subject’s attributes outside its core; relatively, they are peripheral.

 Let’s consider Sun Yat-sen’s revolution as an example:

progressive
anti-dynastic
anti-Qing

Illustration:
‘Nature’ is the core value of something. Relatively speaking, ‘characteristic’
(feature) is peripheral.
For example, the nature of Sun Yat-sen’s revolution was ‘progressive’, ‘anti-
dynastic’ and ‘anti-Qing’; its characteristics included overseas donations, support from
overseas Chinese, modern revolutionary bodies and armed uprisings. Why are ‘nature’
and ‘characteristics’ identified this way? Differentiating attributes of different natures is
an important skill. ‘Armed uprising’ cannot be a nature, as it is too neutral to highlight
Sun’s revolution that was anti-dynastic and had fundamentally changed the nature of
China’s politics. We have different kinds of ‘armed uprisings’, some merely rebellious
and bringing no results, and some like Sun’s that successfully changed the course of a
country’s political development. Therefore, to triumphant revolutions like Sun’s, ‘armed
uprising’ could only be a characteristic, not a nature.

Advanced study

Identifying ‘nature’ is not an objective task. An event may come up with different
‘natures’ when considered from different perspectives or standpoints. The above-
mentioned Sun Yat-sen’s revolution was progressive to the revolutionaries; to the Qing
power-holders, it was rebellious and traitorous, and never progressive.

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compare
³ Analyse the similarities and differences between certain things / people.

‘Comparison’ is an important assessment task in History, and comparison skills are

tested in questions of different phrasings. For example, questions using the following
question words/phrases ask for such skills:
- compare (and contrast)
- more / most
- relative importance
- to what extent
- turning point
- how effective
- how successful

In other words, History questions that demand higher-order thinking skills always ask for
making comparisons. Candidates should be patient in acquiring comparison skills.

When making comparisons, candidates should not merely copy information from sources
or by rote. Such information will be irrelevant if no comparisons are made and no
arguments are presented.

The following are examples that illustrate some common approaches to handling the
question word ‘compare’, arranged in ascending order of performance:

(a) ‘The military budget of Peanutland was 2 billion dollars, and that of Giantland 1
billion dollars.’

This example merely produces separate descriptions without making any

comparisons. In other words, it is not an appropriate response to a comparison
task.

(b) ‘The military budget of Peanutland was 2 billion dollars, and that of Giantland 1
billion dollars. Peanutland had a larger budget than Giantland, reflecting the former’s
stronger economic strength.’

This example demonstrates a logical comparison after listing relevant

information.

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(c) ‘There were similarities and differences between Peanutland and Giantland in their
military developments. In the first half of the essay, I will discuss their differences.
First, the military budget of Peanutland was 2 billion dollars, and that of Giantland 1
billion dollars. Peanutland had a larger budget than Giantland, reflecting the former’s
stronger economic strength….[other points on differences]… Now I will discuss their
similarities…’

This example, after listing the relevant information, manages to make logical
comparisons in a well-formed writing structure.

Candidates should be held accountable for their own writings; they should make efforts
to present arguments by making careful comparisons. Candidates should never think that
good separate accounts of facts will automatically lead to good arguments. For example,
the report on Question 11 in Paper 1 of the 2004 HKAL History Exam (‘Compare and
contrast Stalin and Mussolini with respect to their domestic policies.’) pointed out: ‘…
The weaker candidates tended merely to present separate, factual accounts of Mussolini’s
and Stalin’s domestic policies and thus failed to make a comparison.’

Generally speaking, there are two basic ways to organise a comparison answer.
Candidates may refer to pp.31-33 of A Manual of Question Words Used in History.

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conclude
³ Derive something from facts or premises in a given source.

‘Conclude’ is similar to ‘infer’ in the sense that both question words demand an answer
that cannot be readily found in the source.

However, ‘conclude’ is generally used when the source contains more relevant
information; but this does not mean that candidates may complete their answers by
merely making direct quotes from the sources.

 Example:

Conclude from the Source two features of the Restoration leaders’ economic
policies.
(Question 1c of Paper 2 of the 2004 HKAL History Exam)

Illustration:
The Source provided sufficient information for concluding two features of the
Restoration leaders’ economic policies, but indiscriminate quotes will result in irrelevant
answers. For example, ‘They tried to revive the necessary public works system…’ in the
text merely points out a historical fact; to change it into a ‘feature’, candidates should
rephrase it to something like ‘attention to the improvement of infrastructure’.
As a matter of fact, the exam report of that year pointed out that some candidates
‘quoted indiscriminately from Source B.’ Candidates should avoid similar mistakes.

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define
³ Determine the essential nature or meaning of a given concept.

A definition, especially the topic sentence, should highlight important characteristics and
nature of the object to be defined. The elaboration part should include basic facts
pertaining to the object.

 Example:

(a) What qualities should a great leader possess? Explain your answer.
(10 marks)

(b) Select any two leaders within your history course, and discuss
whether they possessed the qualities you identified in (a). (20 marks)
(Question 9 of the 2011 HKCE History Exam)

Illustration:
Generally speaking, ‘definition’ questions will come with follow-up questions.
When answering the follow-up question, candidates should be cautious to relate the
answer in this part to that of the ‘definition’ part, otherwise they will risk losing their
marks.

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elaborate
³ Provide relevant details to substantiate a given statement, following its logic and
argument.

As this question word requires candidates to expand a given statement into an essay by
providing the details, candidates should follow the logic and assertion in the question and
should not refute the statement.

Some candidates may want to make a more comprehensive answer by examining the
other side of the picture; hence they continue to say something like: ‘however, the
statement is not totally correct because ….’ Such a twist in the answer will turn the
question into a ‘to what extent’ one. Performance will unavoidably be affected.

 Example:

‘Mistrust between nations was an important factor that led to the First World
War.’ Elaborate on this statement with reference to the Sources and using
your own knowledge.
(Question 1f of Paper 1 of the 2011 HKAL History Exam)

Illustration:
Following the logic of the statement, candidates should discuss how and why
‘mistrust between nations’ was ‘an important factor that led to the First World War’.
However, the exam report of that year pointed out: ‘most candidates still gave their own
viewpoints, which meant that they had conducted unnecessary discussions. Some weak
candidates overlooked the command word “elaborate” and opted to disagree with the
quote. This resulted in lengthy and irrelevant discussion of “other causes” of the War.’

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explain
³ (a) Give reasons for the issue(s) in question.
(b) Clarify something.

History always has to deal with causal relationships, hence the high frequency of this
question word. ‘Explain’ has two popular usages: (a) give reasons for something. For
example, Question 14 in Paper 1 of 2006 HKAL History Exam read: ‘Explain the large
increase in trade among Western nations after the Second World War.’

The second usage demands ‘clarification’. One often finds the phrase ‘explain your
answer’ in both DBQs and essay-type questions. It does not mean ‘what makes you give
such an answer’. Rather, it means ‘clarify’ or ‘discuss’.

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fundamental
³ Generally speaking, this adjective qualifies ‘changes’. ‘Fundamental changes’ refer to
changes that completely shifted the course of historical developments. Therefore,
candidates should not discuss trivial changes, but focus on those that were really
important.

 Example:

‘The ways by which Western nations attempted to maintain peace underwent

fundamental changes in the period 1871-1929.’ Do you agree? Explain your
answer with reference to the Sources, and using your own knowledge.
(Question 1f of Paper 1 of the 2006 HKAL History Exam)

Illustration:
‘Do you agree’ implies that candidates should explore (1) whether there had been
changes in the period, and (2) whether such changes, if any, were fundamental in nature.
Therefore, the conclusion may be that the period had witnessed ‘fundamental changes’,
‘obvious but not fundamental changes’, ‘slight changes’, or even ‘no changes’ at all.
Anyway, candidates should periodise the period 1871-1929 and compare the ways by
which Western nations attempted to maintain peace in different sub-periods, so to
conclude about changes and continuity of such ways. Indeed, the report of the 2006 exam
pointed out that ‘some candidates merely described the various attempts for maintaining
peace without making any comparisons.’

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identify
³ Recognise something.

‘Identify’ is usually regarded as a question word reserved for questions that demand
lower-order thinking skills. As a matter of fact, whether ‘identify’ is an ‘easy’ or
‘difficult’ task depends on the subject matter raised by the question. If the candidates are
asked to deal with an unfamiliar topic, that will demand much more vigorous logical
reasoning.

 Example:

Identify two forms of conflicts between Israel and the Arabs.

(Question 3a of the 2007 HKCE History Exam)

Illustration:
Some candidates chose ‘war’ and ‘armed conflicts’ as their answers; they failed to
see that the two could only be regarded as one form of conflict, not two. Here, ‘two
forms’ means ‘two distinguishable forms’. ‘War’ is just a form of ‘armed conflicts’, not a
form of conflict distinguishable from ‘armed conflict’.

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infer
³ Derive something from facts or premises in a given source.

When candidates are asked to infer from a given source, it is usually the case that the
answer cannot be readily found in the source. Candidates should apply logic to draw
inferences from clues in the source.

When asked to explain their answers, candidates should carefully make use of such clues
to explain their inferences. However, wrong use of logic may lead to problematic
inference and in turn affect performance.

Candidates should not indiscriminately copy from sources.

 Example:

The following is adapted from a petition by the inhabitants of Saarbrücken in

December 1918.

‘We are German as regards race, history, language and sentiment. We desire
to remain united with our German brothers even in this time of trouble and
misfortunate.

For more than 900 years Saarbrücken was an independent German

principality. In 1807, at the time of the French Revolution, it was annexed to
France, but was restored to Germany by the Second Peace of Paris in 1815, as
a part of the Prussian Rhine province. The annexation of the region of
Saarbrücken to France for the second time would be inconsistent with the
principles of peace settlement laid down by President Wilson.’

Infer the purpose of the petition with reference to the arguments used in the
Source. (Question 1f of Paper 1 of the 2004 HKAL History Exam)

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Illustration:
Candidates should make use of clues such as ‘petition’, ‘desire to remain united
with our German brothers’, ‘for more than 900 years Saarbrücken was an independent
German principality’ and ‘the annexation of the region of Saarbrücken to France for the
second time would be inconsistent with the principles of peace settlement laid down by
President Wilson’ to infer the purpose of the petition.
Saarbrücken inhabitants petitioned to seek assistance outside Germany so that
they could remain united with their German brothers. From the Source, ‘the annexation
of the region of Saarbrücken to France for the second time would be inconsistent with the
principles of peace settlement laid down by President Wilson’ reflected the inhabitants’
unwillingness to be annexed into France; ‘desire to remain united with our German
brothers’ reflected their wish to stay with their German brothers, hence the petition.

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justify
³ Provide reasons to show the validity of something.

Both ‘justify’ and ‘explain’ require candidates to give reasons for the answer they make.
However, ‘justify’ often appears after a question or statement. For example, Question 5 in
Paper 1 of the 2005 HKAL History Exam read: ‘Was Russia’s participation in the First
World War the most important reason for the downfall of Czardom? Justify your view.’

The key to tackling this question word is to thoroughly understand the ‘main question’
that goes before it, and to provide a well-grounded discussion.

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language and arguments
³ Evidence used to prove something.

Let’s first explain these two words. ‘Argument’ is easier, as discussions will be rather
impossible without making arguments. ‘Language’ here refers to the ‘wordings’ used by
an author. ‘Wordings’ reflect an author’s viewpoint: describing an event as ‘uprising’ or
‘riot’ definitely represents two distinct viewpoints.

Generally speaking, this question phrase is used only in DBQs, and requires candidates to
use language and arguments in a certain source to prove something.

When both ‘language’ and ‘arguments’ are required by a question, candidates must tackle
them separately. They should not confuse them, and should not think that the task is
completed by merely tackling either of them.

Candidates should not merely cite information from a source when tackling the question
word ‘language’. They should qualify the information they have cited by examining the
viewpoint behind.

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most
³ Determine and explain the degree of something.

When asked to ascertain whether a given factor was the ‘most’ important one, candidates
must compare it with other relevant factors in order to determine its degree of importance.
Similarly, when handling a question that asks whether a certain factor was ‘more
important’ than other factors, comparisons are still necessary; otherwise it will be
impossible to determine its degree of importance.

When answering a question using this question word in the DBQ section, a
straightforward response rather than making comparisons may be more appropriate as the
source information is limited and only a few marks are allotted to the question.

The following are examples that illustrate some common approaches to handling the
question word ‘most’, arranged in ascending order of performance:

(a) ‘The “Poisonous Peanut Incident” was the most important factor behind the First
Giant-Peanut War…. [details on the Incident only in the essay]… To conclude, the
“Poisonous Peanut Incident” was the most important factor that had caused the First
Giant-Peanut War.’

Logically speaking, comparisons with other relevant matters are necessary in

order to determine whether something is ‘most’ important. This example
discusses merely one factor, and logically the best conclusion is that this factor
was ‘very’ rather than ‘most’ important.

(b) ‘The “Poisonous Peanut Incident” was an important factor that had caused the
outbreak of the First Giant-Peanut War…. [discussion of the Incident]… Moreover,
the “Yellow Peanut Incident” was another important factor…. [discussion of the
“Yellow Peanut Incident”]… Furthermore, the “Black Sesame Incident” was also
important…. [discussion of the “Black Sesame Incident”]… In a nutshell, although
the “Yellow Peanut Incident” and “Black Sesame Incident” were important causes of
the First Giant-Peanut War, the “Poisonous Peanut Incident” was the most important
cause of the War.”

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 This example manages to list a number of causes and produce separate accounts
of them, without relating and comparing them. Therefore, the conclusion is
ungrounded.

(c) ‘The “Poisonous Peanut Incident”, “Yellow Peanut Incident” and “Black Sesame
Incident” were all causes of the First Giant-Peanut War…. [details on the three
incidents]… Among the three, the “Poisonous Peanut Incident” should be the most
important one. First, it was the first incident to take place among the three, and it had
caused the remaining two to happen…. Second, the “Poisonous Peanut Incident”
affected a much larger geographical area than the other two incidents did…. Third,
the “Poisonous Peanut Incident” led to a coup that Peanutland’s parliament was taken
over by the Peanut Armoured Force, which directly contributed to the rise of “Hard
Peanutism” and the subsequent radical diplomacy…. Therefore, based on the above
three observations, the “Poisonous Peanut Incident” was more important than the two
other causes, and was the most important factor that contributed to the outbreak of the
First Giant-Peanut War.’

This example succeeds in listing several factors and comparing them from several
perspectives so to highlight the importance of a given factor; the conclusion is
well-grounded.

Advanced study

When tackling a question that asks for assessing the importance of something,
may candidates argue that something was ‘unimportant’? Theoretically this is possible,
but candidates should understand that in a curriculum with only a limited scope of study,
it is hard to imagine that the syllabus drafters would have included contents that are less
important. Therefore, all the facts that candidates have to learn from a History curriculum
must be important in this or that way. Candidates should not easily choose to argue
something as ‘unimportant’ unless they are fully confident in doing so.

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relative importance
³ Examine the inter-relationship of certain factors and weigh their importance by making
comparisons.

There are typically two types of questions in which this question phrase may appear:
a. Discuss the relative importance of Factor A in causing a certain event
o Candidates have to decide on their own what other factors to bring in for
comparison purposes.
b. Discuss the relative importance of Factors A, B and C in causing a certain event
o The question already spells out the factors for making comparisons.
Candidates should not add in any other factors as this is against the intention
of the question.

When handling questions that use this question phrase, candidates should not merely
elaborate on the relevant historical facts; rather, they should derive some feasible
strategies to assess the relative importance of the factors in question. Examples of such
strategies are:

a. Time span
o Was the factor important throughout the entire period set by the question? Or
was it important for only a small part of the period?

b. Causal relationship
o There may be causal relationships among the factors in question. If so, which
was a cause and which an effect?

c. Extent of impact
o Among the factors in question, which had more profound impact? So
profound that it had marked a turning point in history, or caused changes on a
regional / global scale?

The following are examples that illustrate some common approaches to handling the
question phrase ‘relative importance’, arranged in ascending order of performance:

(a) ‘The “Gossip Incident” was an important factor that led to the outbreak of the Second
Giant-Peanut War…. [details on this incident only]… To conclude, the “Gossip

25
 Incident” was the most important factor that had caused the outbreak of the Second
Giant-Peanut War.’

Logically speaking, comparisons with other relevant matters are necessary in

order to determine the relative importance of factors. This example discusses
merely one factor, and will in no way come to any meaningful conclusion about
relative importance.

(b) ‘Both the “Gossip Incident” and “Granite Incident” were important factors that led to
the outbreak of the Second Giant-Peanut War…. [separate accounts on the two
events]… To conclude, the “Gossip Incident” was more important than the “Granite
Incident” in causing the War.’

This example manages to handle two factors; however, only separate accounts
are produced without relating them together and making any comparisons.
Therefore, the conclusion regarding relative importance is still ungrounded.

(c) ‘Both the “Gossip Incident” and “Granite Incident” were important factors that led to
the outbreak of the Second Giant-Peanut War…. [details on the two events]…
Comparatively, the “Gossip Incident” was more important than the “Granite Incident”.
First, war broke out ten days after the “Gossip Incident” whereas the “Granite
Incident” happened five years before the War. It was obvious that the former had a
more direct bearing on the outbreak of the War…. Second, the “Gossip Incident”,
once after it took place, aroused immediate attention from the government and the
public of the two powers, whereas the “Granite Incident”, though leading to tense
relations between the two powers for a while, did not have long-lasting impact….
Therefore, the “Gossip Incident” was more important than the “Granite Incident” in
causing the outbreak of the Second Giant-Peanut War.’

This example can compare the importance of the two factors, and the conclusion
is valid and convincing.

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role
³ The function of an individual or event to a bigger issue.

Answers such as ‘their role is great / small’ or ‘they played a positive / negative role’ are
not enough for a question that requires the examination of ‘role(s)’. These answers
merely assess the importance of role(s), but do not describe the roles themselves.

Candidates should not merely narrate facts; they should attempt to infer roles based on
such facts.

 Example:

What, in Cartwright’s view, was the Kaiser’s role in the making of

Germany’s policy towards Britain?
(Question 1a of Paper 1 of the 2011 HKAL History Exam)

Illustration:
When attempting this question, candidates should not copy indiscriminately from
the Source, such as making the quote that ‘His Majesty’s personality is more and more
dominating every branch of public life.’ Candidates should read the Source carefully, try
to understand the relationship between the Kaiser and Germany’s policy towards Britain,
and identify the Kaiser as a ‘dominator’ in the decision-making process.

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support your answer
³ Produce reasons to establish an answer.

‘Support your answer’ and ‘explain your answer’ differ in that the former demands
reasons / clues and no explanation while the latter demands both.

Candidates who proceed to give explanations will have no marks awarded or deducted.
Penalty will nevertheless be imposed if such explanations contain factual and/or logical
errors.

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to what extent
³ Discuss the relevancy of elements of a certain issue.

Some candidates think that they must hold the standpoint of ‘to a large extent’ when
answering questions using this question phrase in order to have a good grade. As a matter
of fact, there are no model answers to essay-type questions of History. What ‘extent’ to
adopt in an answer depends on what question asks and what view a candidate holds.

Candidates may think that an extended discussion of a certain cause / factor / fact will
automatically produce a ‘to a large extent’ answer. Actually, the other way is also
possible: an extended discussion of a certain cause / factor / fact is necessary in order to
construct a ‘to a small extent’ answer, that is, to prove that that cause / factor / fact had
not played a significant role.

To determine an ‘extent’, it does not suffice to merely list some facts about a certain
cause / factor; comparisons with other relevant causes / factors are a prerequisite to
constructing a meaningful answer.

The following are examples that illustrate some common approaches to handling the
question phrase ‘relative importance’, arranged in ascending order of performance:

(a) ‘The “Gossip Incident” was an important factor that led to the outbreak of the Second
Giant-Peanut War…. [details on this incident]… Therefore, to a large extent the
“Gossip Incident” had caused the outbreak of the Second Giant-Peanut War.’

Logically speaking, comparisons with other relevant matters are necessary in

order to determine the extent of significance of a certain factor. This example
merely discusses one factor, and will in no way come to any meaningful
conclusion about the extent of anything.

(b) ‘The “Gossip Incident” led to the outbreak of the War…. [details on the effect of the
incident]… On the other hand, other factors had also caused the War…. [details on
the effect of other factors]… Therefore, to a large extent the “Gossip Incident” had
caused the Second Giant-Peanut War.’

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 This example manages to handle several factors; however, only separate accounts
are produced without relating them together and making any comparisons.
Therefore, the conclusion regarding ‘extent’ is still ungrounded.

(c) ‘Both the “Gossip Incident” and “Granite Incident” were important factors that led to
the outbreak of the Second Giant-Peanut War…. [details on the two events]…
Comparatively, the “Gossip Incident” was more important than the “Granite Incident”.
First, war took place ten days after the “Gossip Incident” while the “Granite Incident”
happened five years before the War. It was obvious that the former had a more direct
bearing on the outbreak of the War…. Second, the “Gossip Incident”, once after it
took place, caused immediate attention from the government and the public of the two
powers, while the “Granite Incident”, though leading to tense relations between the
two powers for a while, did not have long-lasting impact…. Therefore, to a large
extent the “Gossip Incident” had caused the outbreak of the Second Giant-Peanut
War.’

This example can compare the importance of the two factors, and the conclusion
is valid and convincing.

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trace and explain
³ Trace and explain historical development over an extended period of time.

‘Trace and explain’ is a two-in-one assessment task. Candidates should exercise

particular caution in differentiating the two tasks, that is, ‘trace’ and ‘explain’. Ignoring
either will adversely affect performance.

Candidates should pay attention to the necessity of periodisation. Periodisation – dividing

the time-period in question into stages – provides an effective tool for tracing events.
Without periodisation, the tracing will be reduced to a merely chronology of facts without
a clear picture of change and continuity over time.

The following are examples that illustrate some common approaches to handling the
question phrase ‘trace and explain’:

Approach 1 Approach 2 Approach 3 Approach 4 Approach 5

Approach 1:
Merely presents a chronological account of facts, without any attempts to trace or
explain.

Approach 2:
Merely explains events that took place in the period in question, without any
attempts of periodisation.

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Approach 3:
Traces historical developments by means of periodisation, but without any
attempts of explanation.

Approach 4:
Attempts to trace and explain, but without any attempts of periodisation, hence
failure to highlight changes and continuity in the historical developments.

Approach 5:
Succeeds in tracing – by periodisation – and explaining the developments.

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turning point
³ Fundamental changes took place in history after a given point of time.

A turning point needs three parts to make good sense, as shown in the above diagram:
- a point that turns the course of history (can be a year, an event, an ideology, etc) – ‘A’
as shown in the diagram;
- a period of time preceding this point - ‘B’ as shown in the diagram; and
- a period of time after this point – ‘C’ as shown in the diagram.

To prove a certain year/event constitutes a turning point, a candidate has to provide the
following evidence to show that:
- there were changes;
- such changes were fundamental in nature and ushered in a new era; and
- such changes took place after the point of time set by the question.

The following examples illustrate some common approaches to handling the question
phrase ‘turning point’, arranged in ascending order of performance:

(a) ‘The Declaration of Peanut Oil in 2056 was a turning point in the history of
Peanutland…. [details on the Declaration of Peanut Oil]… The Declaration led to
the outbreak of the Peanut Butter Revolution in 2060…. [details on the Revolution]…
Moreover, it also caused the Flower Butterfly Assassination of 2061…. [details on the
Assassination]… Therefore, the Declaration of Peanut Oil in 2056 was a turning
point in the history of Peanutland.’

This example merely discusses the impact of the event by describing the various
incidents caused by it, but does not compare historical developments before and
after the event.

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(b) ‘The Declaration of Peanut Oil in 2056 was a turning point in the history of
Peanutland. First, people did not enjoy democracy before 2056, and they began to
enjoy it after 2056….’

This example attempts to compare developments before and after the event, but
fails to identify the ways that turning point had functioned.

(c) ‘The year 2056 was a turning point to Peanutland. First, people did not enjoy
democracy before 2056, and they began to enjoy it after 2056…. The key to this
fundamental change was the promulgation of the Declaration of Peanut Oil in 2056
by the parliament of Peanutland, stipulating that citizens who made an annual income
of 100 kilograms of peanut oil would have the right to vote. This marked the
beginning of democracy in Peanutland….’

This example succeeds in comparing developments before and after the turning
point, identifying what fundamental changes had taken place, and elaborating on
how the turning point had caused such changes.

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usefulness and limitations
³ The degree of relevancy of given source(s) in a data-based question.

Every single piece of data, no matter how comprehensive and encyclopedic it is meant to
be, has its limitations.

The less details, the more limitations a source will have.

Many candidates too often regurgitated what was not mentioned in a given source, taking
this as the source’s limitation. This is dangerous, because it is easy to go off the track.
Consider the following fictional question: ‘How useful is the source in helping you to
better understand China’s revolutionary development?’ If a candidate bluntly says that
‘the source does not mention anything about the reformers’, the answer will become
irrelevant. A better way to relate this point to the theme of the question (that is,
revolutionary development) is to say, for instance: ‘the source does not reveal the relative
strength of the revolutionaries and the reformers’.

Candidates should pay attention to the nature of the source in question when discussing
its limitations. For instance, if the source is a poster, it is safe to infer that it is meant to
serve propaganda purposes; therefore it will highlight features it deems necessary, and
ignore disadvantageous details.

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with reference to source / own knowledge
³ Giving instructions about where to cite evidence when answering data-based questions.

‘With reference to the source’ asks for information from the specified source(s) only,
whereas ‘using your own knowledge’ asks for information from outside the source(s).
Candidates must strictly follow these basic rules in attempting data-based questions.
Those who fail to observe these rules may lose all the marks for a sub-question even if
they write logically and demonstrate excellent historical knowledge.

‘Using your own knowledge’ asks for information from outside the source(s). However,
in case there are several sources in a data-based question, may a candidate treat other
sources not mentioned by a sub-question as ‘own knowledge’? The answer is negative:
‘own knowledge’ refers to information from outside all the sources in a data-based
question.

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Appendix (A) Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination A/AS History

Marking Criteria for Essay-type Questions

(Note: In the assessment process, markers should first determine an appropriate grade for an
answer based on 3 factors, viz. understanding of the question, content, and presentation, and
then convert that grade into a corresponding mark according to the following table.)

Range of
Max band to Marks
Criteria be awarded
(Max. 30)
– Showing a firm grasp of the gist of the question.
– Balanced contents, with effective use of accurate and
relevant material. A 27–30
– Clearly expressed, persuasive, and coherent, showing
critical and analytical judgement.

– Showing a clear grasp of the gist of the question.

– Relevant and reasonably balanced contents, generally B 24–26
free from inaccuracies and/or important omissions.
– Clearly expressed and logically presented, showing
some success in analysing relevant issues and/or in C 21–23
presenting a substantiated argument.

– Showing a general understanding of the question and a

conscious effort to respond directly to the question. D 18–20
– Basically relevant and accurate contents, but lacking in
balance.
– Showing some attempt to argue and/or to analyse, but
being marred by inconsistencies and an unduly narrative E 15–17
or descriptive approach.

– Showing inadequate understanding of the question

and/or a weak knowledge of the subject matter. E/F 13–14
– Containing fundamental errors and/or gross
irrelevancies.
– Showing poor ability to communicate, and containing F 7–12
gross inconsistencies.

– Showing a total misunderstanding of the question.

– Totally inadequate and/or totally irrelevant, containing U 0–6
little that is worthwhile or factually correct.
– Very poorly organised and difficult to understand.

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Appendix (B) Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary of Education Examination History

Marking Criteria for Essay-type Questions

(Note:In the assessment process, markers should first determine an appropriate grade for an
answer based on 3 factors, viz. understanding of the question, contents, and presentation, and
then convert that grade into a corresponding mark according to the following table.)

Range of
Criteria Max band to Marks
be awarded
(Max. 15)
– Showing a clear grasp of the significance of the question.
– Balanced contents, with appropriate and effective use of
A 14-15
relevant material.
– Well organised, clearly presented and fluent.
– Showing an awareness of the significance of the question.
– Fairly balanced contents, with reasonably accurate use of B 12-13
relevant material.
– Reasonably well organised, understandable and fairly fluent.
C 10-11

– Showing a general understanding of the question.

D 8-9
– Generally narrative in presentation, and containing some
irrelevant or wrong material.
E 6-7
– Not well organised, but fairly understandable.
– Showing inadequate understanding of the question, with
little distinction made between relevant and irrelevant E/F 5
material.
– Containing few relevant and important facts.
– Poorly organised and barely understandable, with
conspicuous mistakes in writing/spelling personal and place F 3-4
names.
– Showing little understanding of the question, with no
distinction made between relevant and irrelevant material.
– Containing very few relevant facts.
U 0–2
– Very poorly organised and difficult to understand, with
annoying mistakes in writing/spelling important personal
and place names.

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